Milking-machine.



I. K. BROWNING.

MILKING MACHINE.

APPLICATION TILED JULY 28, 1913.

1, 1 1 6,379. Patented Nov. 10, 1914.

2 SHEETSSHEET l.

WITNESSES. INVENTOR ATTORNEY I. K. BROWNING.

MILKING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 28. 1913.

1,116,379. Patented Nov. 10,1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WITNESSES: '44 .P 77

INVENTOR OFFICE.

IRVING- K. BROWNING, OF LAMAR, COLORADO.

MILKING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 10, 1914.

. Application flied July 28, 1913. Serial No. 781,575.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, IRVING K. BROWNING,

' a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Lamar, in the county of Prowers and State of Colorado, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Milking- Machines, of which the following is a fu l,

' clear, and exact description.

The principal object of this invention is the provision of a practical milking machine which shall operate upon the interior of the teat; and also to so construct the device that it will operate under lower vacuum conditions than other machines-to theend that irritation and discomfort to the animal shall be avoided.

Broadly speaking, the invention comprises the use'of perforated tubes T'w'hich are allowed to remain in the teats and devices adapted to be connected to the perforated tubes at milking time, which latter devices shall operate to withdraw the milk and deliver it into suitable receptacles.

Further objects and advantages of my invention will later appear in the specification and be pointed out in the appended claims.

In the two'sheetsiof drawings accompanying this applicatron and forming a part hereof Figure 1 is a central transverse sec 4 tion, on a slightly enlarged scale, of a cows teat, disclosing a central transverse ,section of the perforated tube in situ and a portion of the cooperating parts in position, the latshown partially in section and partially 1n elevation; Fig. 2 is, a perspective, on a still larger scale, showing ter parts bein the perforated insert wh1ch cooperates with the perforated tube, the air inlet valve, and

a portion of the connecting tube; Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the closure cap for the perforated tube; Fig. tie a partial side view of the milk receptacle and the closure cag therefor, a portion of the vacuum tube an of one of, the milking tubes-being shown;

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the arrangement of the plant; Fig. 6 is an end view of the perforated tube, on an enlarged scale; and Fig. 7 is an elevation of the inlet end of the air valve, on an enlarged scale.

Referring to Fig. 5, the numeral 7 indicates any suitable vacuum producing means, connected by a pipe 8 with the vacuum chamber 9. This chamber is provided with a vacuum gage 10 and an air inlet valve 11,

which valve serves to equalize the exhaustion in the vacuum chamber 9 and may be set to admit air at any predetermined drop -1n pressure. These devices being of common design I have not illustrated them in detail. A lpe 12 connects the vacuum chamber 9 mt a p1pe 13, which latter extends the length of the stable. At suitable points along the pipe 13, depending flexible tubes 14 are provided, these tubes having valves 15 which serve to close them when not in use.

.The arrangement of milk receptacles which I prefer employs one can 16'for each two cows-the can being placed between the cows and the closure 17 therefor being provided with eight milking tubes, four. for each cow. The'milkingtubes 18 are preferably connected to the periphery of the closure 17 and areeach provided with independent valves'19, permitting of any tube being made inoperative in case a cow has less than four teats, or when the milk has been extracted from one teat in advance of the others, as will be more fully explained ater.

1 To the outer ends of the tubes 18 are attached the means for drawing milk from the perforated tubes T. These means comprise the' perforated insert 20, the float operated air-admitting valve 21., li uid tight gasketing means 30, 31,- cam shape securing means 23, and an extens on 24 forming means for connecting these parts to the pipe18. The perforated insert 20 is shown as being substantially dome-shaped in form, slightly smaller in diameter than the interior dimensions of the tube Tand'provided with perforations 20 which are preferably less in-aggregate area than the aggregate area of the 'perforations in the tube T and substantially equal in aggregate area to the areaof the passage 25, which has its mouth in the highest part of the insert 20, above said openings 20. The air-admission valve is-rlocated in a chamber 21 projecting from the side of the extension 24 and a small passage 25 extends from the chamber upwardly through the surface of the insert 20 as above described. The valve chamber proper is shown as being substantially double-L shaped with the ends extending in opposite directions, though this form is not an essential part of my invention. The outer end of the valve chamber is preferably covered by a screen 26 and a perforated die phragm 27 in the valve chamber 21 is adapted to be closed by a floating ball 28. A tap screw 29 is placed in the lower part of the chamber to close the opening through which the ball has been introduced; A shoulder 30 on the extension 24 is located in position to form a seat for the gasket 31 and force it into engagement with the lower end of the tube T. The means for securing the arts described in this paragraph to the tu e T comprise a pair of inclined cam surfaces 23, formed as lugs on the insert20, which cam surfaces enter the cut out portions 32' in the tube T (see Fig. '6) and draw the gasket 31 to its seat by engagement with the surfaces of the slots 22 indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 6, when the insert is turned after being introduced into the tube T. I prefer to place in each tube 18 a transparent portion 34:, preferably of glass, which will permit the operator to see when the fiow of milk through any tube has ceased: when this occurs the valve 18 should be shut off, thus stopping the suction action on that tube.

The milk receptacles 16 are provided with a flaring mouth 35 in which the lower part 36 of the closure 17 makes an air tight fit against the gasket 36*. Ears .37 on the do sure are in position to be engaged by pivoted thumb-screw bolts 38 on the milk receptacle and when the thumb-screws are tightened the closure is forced tightly 'home.

The tubes T should be made of silver, or other suitable non-corrodible metal,-in order that there may be'no tendency to poison the teats or the milk. A closure 40 having cams 44 thereon similar to cams 23 is provided for the tubes T, and these closures are removed at the time of milking and clean ones replaced after milking is over. The tubes T are slightly smaller in external diameter at the point 41 where they are engaged by the lip of the teat and so are readily held in place: I have found by trial that these tubes do not annoy the animal nor produce any irritation ofthe parts. later pointed out, this system of milking has a decided therapeutic value in case there is a tendency to milk fever. I

Operation: Assuming the parts to be disconnected, as they would be, for instance,

for purposes of cleansing, the closures 17 are attached to the tubes 14 by means of the connections 43, and the-milking tubes 18 joined to the closure 17 by the connections 42. The receptacles 16 are then placed in position below the closures and secured thereto by the bolts 38. The caps 40 having been removed from the tubes T, the inserts are quickly inserted and locked in place by giving them a slight turn, the tubes T pro jecting sufficiently far from the teats to enable them to be grasped by the thumb and fore finger for this purpose. In most in- In factas will be aiiaero stances there will be a tendency for the milk to How out through the air inlet valve but this is prevented by the ball .28 floating into position against the opening in the diaphragm 27. The valve 15 and the several valves 19 are opened and the vacuum produced through the tube 14: will cause the milk to be gently drawn out through the inserts 20 and the tubes 18 to the receptacles 16. I prefer to employ a vacuum of about four pounds, though I do not wish to limit myself to any particular degree of vacuum. The aggregate area of the openings in the insert 20 should less than the aggregate area 0 the perforations in the tube T in order that so long as there is considerable milk in the udder such milk may be fed to the tubes substantially by its gravity andmay tend to feed faster than it can be drawn ofi. Thus at this stage practically no suction will be exerted on the walls of the teat. As the milking progresses and the supply from the udder is not up to the capacity of the openings in the insert 20 some air will be drawn into the inserts 20 through the air inlet valve 21, the ball 28 falling away to free the opening in the diaphragm 27, and this serves to prevent too great suction being exerted upon the teat and the drawing of the walls of the teat into the perforations of the tube T and the possible rupture of said walls. When the milking operation is about complete a considerable air will thus be drawn in and this action, aside from being an aid as described in the milking operation, is also of material value in reducing any tendency toward inflammation. "When any teat is stripped this will be indicated to the operator by the absence of any milk passing through the transparent tube section 34 and the valve 19 lead ing to this particular tube should then be closed. After the milking is complete the inserts 20 are withdrawn by giving them a slight turn and clean caps 40 are inserted in the tubes T. The tubes T should be of such length as only to project a suflicient degree to enable them to be grasped by the fingers as described, for if they are longer there will be danger of their being caught by weeds or underbrush with resulting injury to the animal. In very cold weather the, air entering through the screen 26 should be warmed to prevent freezing of the milk but under ordinary temperature conditions this is not necessary.

Havingthus described my invention, what referabl be 1 I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patcut is:

1. In a milking machine, a perforated tube adapted to enter a teat and be allowed to remain therein, and easily detachable means for exerting suction on said tube.

2. In a milkingmachine, anon-corrodible, perforated tube adapted to enter a teat and be allowed to remain therein, and easily detachable means for exerting suction on said tu e.

3. In a milking machine, a perforated tube adapted to enter a teat, perforated means adapted to close the lower end of said tube, and means for exerting suction on said closing means.

4. In a milking machine, a perforated tube adapted to enter a teat and be allowed to remain therein, a hollow, perforated insert adapted to enter said tube and be secured therein, and means for exerting suc-,

tion on said insert.

5. In a milking machine, an open ended perforated tube adapted to enter a teat and be allowed to remain therein, a hollow, perforated insert adapted to enter said tube and carrying means for tightly closing the open end of said perforated tube, and means for exerting suction on said insert.

6. In a milking machine, a perforated tube adapted to enter a teat, a hollow insert within said tube having perforations therein of less aggregate area than those in said tube, and means for exerting suction on said insert.

7. In a milking machine, a perforated tube adapted to entera teat, means for exerting suction on said tube, and means for admitting air to the interior of said tube.

8. In a milking machine, a perforated tube adapted to enter a teat, a hollow, perforated insert within said tube, an air inlet alve communicating with said tube through a passage in said insert, and means for exerting suction on' said insert.

9. In a milking machine, a perforated tube adapted to enter a teat, a hollow, perforated insert within said tube, an air inlet pipe communicating with said tube, the area of said pipe and of the perforations in said insert being substantially equal, and means for exerting suction on said insert.

10. In a milking machine, a perforated tube adapted to enter a teat, means for exerting suction on said tube, and restricted means for admitting air to the interior of said tube.

11. In a milking machine, a perforated tube adapted to enter a teat, a hollow, perforated insert within said tube, a float operated air inlet valve communicating with said tube through a passage in said insert, and means for exerting suction on said insert.

12. In a milking machine, a milk rece tacle, vacuum producing means connecte to said receptacle, a perforated tube adapted to enter each teat and be allowed to remain therein, a perforated, hollow insert adapted to enter and be detachably secured to said perforated tube, and a milking tube connect- 'ed to each insert and to the milk receptacle.

13. In a milking machine, a milk receptacle, vacuum producing means connected to said receptacle, a perforated tube adapted to enter each teat and be allowed to remaln therein, a hollow, perforated insert adapted to enter and be detachably secured to said perforated tube, an air inlet valve communieating with said tube through a passage m said insert, and a milking tube connected to each insert and to the milk receptacle.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto aflixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

IRVING K. BROWNING. \Vitnesses CHARLES W. ODONNELL, CHAS. H. IVILLIAMs. 

